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This past quarter in Art has been very interesting. Between juggling classes and college work I've been very busy and stressed. So it was very nice being able to come to art four times a week and being able to let my guard down and have fun. I wasn't  as imaginative this time, but I used a lot of colors. I especially had fun creating my Golden Triangle collage because I had previously heard about the Fibonacci Sequence, but I never bothered to learn what it actually was. I used this assignment as a way to learn more about the Fibonacci sequence. I used different colored  shapes to create my collage because I thought that would be very cool to see. I think my artwork this quarter is better than my artwork last quarter because of all the colors I used. I think colors draw attention and make art look better overall. I hope that people will enjoy looking at my colorful drawings and collages because I enjoyed making them! 

Artist Statement

During this quarter I have made 4 pieces of art I am truly proud of creating. I made my first collage that form something else, inspired by two of my favorite fantasy worlds. I created a fabric drawing, without tracing anything. The fabric had to my best, due to the fact that I went with my own gut on how to draw it. Throughout this quarter I was able to express myself using more mediums. I found it both challenging and a little "weird", but the finishing products came out very well. However, I would say that as an artist in "A" band's class I still represented myself through my artwork. Every artist has their own style, and I think I've found my own during this quarter.

Ingredients:

-Vegetable oil
-Garlic
-String beans
-Black pepper

1. Pour vegetable oil in a frying about the size of a quarter.
2. Lift the pan and move it around so that the vegetable oil coats the surface of the pan.
3. Add a spoonful of garlic to the oil.
4. Move the garlic around the pan same as the vegetable oil and let it simmer.
5. Pour string beans into the pan and cover them.
6. Take the cover off and move the string beans off with a spatula, fork, etc. and add black pepper
7. Let the string beans become a nice green and turn the pan off.
8. Enjoy!

Food Analysis:
I feel that my dish would only be considered "processed" because of the vegetable oil unnatural additives and properties.  The vegetable oil is taken through a lengthy process before being sold to supermarkets across the country.  Other than that, my dish is pretty healthy.  It is a vegetable and contains natural ingredients such as garlic and black pepper.

The dish is not fattening because it is vegetable-based.  Also, the garnishes and seasonings are natural and do not contain any added chemicals, additives, etc.  It also helps with bowel movement because of it's vegetational state.  If eaten too much, there will be limited to no waste inside of the body.

I think that the food mostly comes from the Midwestern part of the country.  This part of the country is the most occupied with crops used to grow fruits and vegetables.  The food is conventionally grow but its organic counterpart can be purchased at stores that whole foods like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc. for a slightly inflated price.

This dish is better than any fast food that can be purchased.  This dish is healthier because of the lack of fats, oils, grease, processed additives and extra chemicals.  The only way that this dish can be used to make money is by the company it was made by or if the cook decides to sell it.

Since the food started on a farm, it had to be grown and washed by selling to different grocery stores.  Then the consumers buy those vegetables and take them home for preparation.  The problem is that it was taken through a lengthy process to be bought and eaten so if you were to grow your own string beans, garlic and pepper, you'll be saving gas from going to the grocery store and the money that you were gonna pay for the groceries.

Personal Reflection:

From this unit, I learned that some people do not have access to healthy foods because of their geographic location and their income.  Healthy foods are expensive compared to fast food which are seen as a way to not break the bank and feed yourself and the family, if any.  While realizing this, I am glad that I was taught good eating habits such as eating vegetables and starches and not just fats, oils and grease.

I also learned that the essential food knowledge that children should learn has to start at home.  With good knowledge on food, the child can take it everywhere they go and share it with others who may not be as informed.  The opposite can happen with little to no food knowledge which results in carrying bad habits throughout the course of life and imposing those habits unto others.  We all need to learn the basics of food in order live healthier lives.  That in turn will promote better living and in turn a happier nation.

Recipe & Analysis

Baked Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 6 servings

Cook time: about 1.5 hours

Prep time: 30 minutes

9 medium organic russet potatoes (about 3 pounds)

1/2 stick of salted butter

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

5 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Sea salt & freshly ground black Pepper, as much desired

Crushed red pepper flakes, as much desired

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1) Take the potatoes and rinse them under cold water; peel them until completely bare. Place the potatoes in a large pot with cold water over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Strain the potatoes, then put them back into the pot.

2) Take the potato masher to your root vegetable, that way, when you add in your first couple of ingredients, they become absorbed by the potatoes, creating a tastier dish. Add your milk and butter, but portion the milk as you stir it in. Do the same for the olive oil.

3) Add your salt, pepper, garlic slices, and red pepper flakes.

4) Add in all of the cheese, or leave some on the side to sprinkle on top before baking. Stir the potatoes until creamy.

5) Pour the mashed potatoes into a baking dish, place on top shelf of oven, uncovered. Leave in for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

6) Serve hot.

——————————

Processed vs.Whole Food

3 out of 8 items are processed, about 38% (37.5% to be exact)

Salted butter

Milk

Parmesan cheese

Health/nutrition

Since only 3 items have nutritional info available on their container, I can only write about them.

Salted butter

Calories: 100

Fat: 11g

Cholesterol: 30mg

Sodium: 90mg

Vitamin A: 8%

Butter can be good and it can be bad. Even though it contains 8% vitamin A, which is needed for the health of the thyroid, and also contains a number of anti-oxidants that protect against things that weaken the arteries, it can also be really harmful to other parts of your body. If the butter is conventional anyway (contains GMOs), and you’re continually consuming it, it’s most likely giving youorgan damage, gastrointestinal and immune system disorders, is accelerating your aging, digestion problems, and many more. Butter is fattening; it turns into actual fat in your body.

Milk

Calories: 150

Fat: 8g

Cholesterol: 35mg

Sodium: 130mg

Protein: 8g

Vitamin A: 6%

Vitamin C: 4%

Calcium: 30%

Vitamin D: 25%

Milk is amazing for getting potassium (which can avoid Charley Horse’s), and stronger bones. A downside to consuming milk, is that if you are a person who consumes a lot of sodium, and then you consume a lot of milk you have a higher chance of acquiring high blood pressure.

EVOO

Calories: 120

Fat: 14g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 0g

Omega-6: 9.7%

Omega-3: 0.76%

Vitamin E: 72% of the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance)

Vitamin K: 75% of the RDA

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the best oils and fats for you and your body. Not only is it good for your skin and hair, but it’s also good as an anti-inflammatory and provider of nutrients. If the oil is pressed naturally, the EVOO would be high in phenolic antioxidants, the main reason why olive oil is so beneficial (phenolic antioxidants offer resistance to illnesses ranging from cancer to arthritis). EVOO is easily digestible and tasty start to any dressing.

Environmental

My potatoes and cheese are organic and came from a farmers market near my house; the farmers are located here in PA. Everything else was purchased at Shoprite. Shoprite uses food from Wakefern Food Corporation located in Keasbey, New Jersey. So the food I purchased from Shoprite traveled the furthest.

Political/economic

Butter: $2.19

Milk: $4.99

Cheese: $10.99

EVOO: $12.00

Salt: $2.29

Pepper: $3.49

Red Pepper Flakes: $3.00

Garlic: $2.69

Potatoes: $6.00

= $46.14 (about $50)

The price I spent on making this meal is equivalent to about 5 regular meals not from the dollar menu at McDonalds. Shoprite and its corporations (Wakefern Food Corp., specifically), and the farmers made money off of my meal.

Social

People have the option of gaining weight because of the ingredients within the meal.The parmesan cheese at Shoprite, already grated, was $3.99, but the whole cheese from the Farmer’s Market, same amount of ounces as the Shoprite brand, cost $7 more. Similar to my potatoes, the organic potatoes from the Farmer’s Market, cost $2.00 more than potatoes at Shoprite. The potatoes were grown in PA, on an organic farm, and the cheese came from grass fed cows, so it’s all healthy.

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/10-Reasons-to-Avoid-GMOs

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/dairy-truths?page=2

http://authoritynutrition.com/extra-virgin-olive-oil/

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-phenolic-antioxidants.htm